Grease-cup for locomotives



w. s. K'EARNS. GREASE CUP FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1920. 1,375,703,. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. KEARNS,

ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO HUGH B.

OF iDUIlUTH, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE SMITH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA,

GREASE-GUI? FOB LOCOMOTIVES.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. KEARNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grease- Cups for Locomotives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it itppertains to make and use the same.

3 vide an improved grease cup for locomotive main and side rods, and to such ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In grease cups of this character, it is the common practice to thread the plungers or followers into the cups and to lock them by nuts; but the nuts are liable to become loosened, and when this takes place, the plungers loosen up and work out of place and are frequently lost. Moreover, it is the practice to provide the grease cups with threaded shanks that are screwed into the straps of the rods, and these, also, are liable to becomedoose.

My invention provides an extremely simple and highly eflicient lock which will positively secure the grease cup to a strap and prevent backward rotation of the threaded follower in the grease cup.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the improved grease cup and lock applied to t the strap of one of the rods of the locomotive;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, some portions being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the follower; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the follower.

The numeral 6 indicates one of the rod straps and the numeral 7 the bearing brasses.

The numeral 8 indicates the grease cup,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 14, i920. Serial No.

invention has for its object to pro Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

portion of which is internally screw '-threaded to receive the externally screw-threaded follower or plunger 9. The cup 8 has an outstanding stop flange l1 and below the same has an externally threaded portion 12 that is screw-threaded into the strap 6, leaving the entire lower end of the grease cup open. At its outer end, thefollower 9 has a flattened rib 13 that adapts it to be easily turned, either by the fingers, or by a wrench. At one side, a ratchet-like groove 14 is cut through the external threads of the follower 9 from end to end thereof.

The lock is made from a single piece of spring wire 15, the upper portion of'which is bent U-shaped to increase the resilience thereof and is terminated in a flattened pawl-like end 16. The lower end of the lock spring 15 is tightly driven or forced through alined perforations in the flange 11 of the grease cup and in the strap 6, the latter perforation being preferably adjacent to the threads of the lower portion 12 of the cup. The flattened end 16 of the lock spring works through a perforation in one side of the grease cup and is engageable with the ratchet-like groove 14.- of the follower, so as to positively prevent backward rotation of the follower beyond a possible partial rotation. When it is desired to screw the follower out of position, or backward, the pawl-like end 16' of the lock can be easily retracted by applying the finger to the bent upper portion of said lock strap.

As is obvious, the following can be freely rotated in a direction to move the same downward, or farther into the cup, but can not possibly work loose or get displaced from the cup. This simple lock, moreover, may be applied at very trifling cost, and, as stated is efficient in performing both of its locking functions above noted.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a strap, or the like, of a grease cup having a shank that is screw-threaded into said strap, the interior of said cup being screw-threaded, a follower working with threaded engagement in' said cup and having a ratchet-like groove cut longitudinally through its threads, and a lock formed from a single piece of spring wire and provided with a curved upper end terminating in a pawl-acting end that works the upper through a perforation in said cup and is engageable with the groove of said follower to prevent backward rotation thereof, the other end of said lock spring being passed through a projecting portion of said on and extended into said strap to thereby lock said cup to said strap.

2. The combination with a connecting rod strap, or the like, and a grease cup applied thereto, said grease cup being internally threaded, of a follower working with threaded engagement in said cup, and a lock for said follower in the form of a spring rod anchored to said cup and strap to prevent relative rotation thereof and having a pawl-acting end working through a perforation in said cup and engageable with the threads of said follower, the said follower having a ratchet-like groove cut longitudinally through its threads.

3. The combination with a bearing element, of a grease cup having screw-thread attachment thereto, a follower in said cup having screw-threaded engagement therewith, and a single member for locking said cup to said bearing element and said follower in variable longitudinal positions in said cup.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. KEARN S. lVitnesses 1 A. SWANsrRoM, L. C. LILLJANDER. 

